French 25 is welcome addition to downtown

The emphasis is not on white tablecloths and there's no talk of a city subsidy.

The emphasis is not on white tablecloths and there's no talk of a city subsidy.

The owners have long and definite ties to Stockton and were not imported from Sacramento.

And there's no mistaking that there's a different level of spice to the menu.

So long Paragary's, we hardly remember you.

And hello French 25, the relatively new restaurant in the high-profile, downtown spot as part of the Hotel Stockton.

The former Le Bistro restaurant tucked behind an abandoned Shell gas station on Benjamin Holt Drive at Interstate 5 has shut down (yes, that's a Starbucks going into the old gas station). And Le Bistro's owner has opened a New Orleans-themed restaurant downtown.

So far, so good.

There are growing pains, as is to be expected. Not everything on the menu has been mastered and there can be a bit of inconsistency in what is served on your plate.

But those are mere quibbles. So far, French 25 is a welcome and successful addition to the Stockton dining scene.

Whether it's lunch or dinner, you're taken on a journey to the Bayou with everything from po boy sandwiches to chicken and waffles to root beer-braised ribs to jambalaya.

We made a couple of visits to French 25 - once for lunch, once for dinner - to get a sampling of what's available. And we were quite pleased.

The service and atmosphere were very good and the dining room about 80 percent filled both times.

Let's start with lunch. One patron chose the Fried Shrimp Po Boy sandwich. It came with a spicy citrus aioli and a lemony slaw and was a real hit for $12 (including sides). Another opted for the chicken and waffles ($14), which was served with maple syrup, powdered sugar and just a hint of scallions. The waffle was excellent and the chicken crispy. It's definitely one of those dishes you can have any time of the day.

The dinner menu is so vast that you probably could come back a dozen times and never eat the same thing. The Trout Amandine ($16) was very good, served over saffron-infused rice with roasted corn and toasted almonds. It was a very nice mix, and the sauteed green beans were perfect.

The Root Beer Braised Short Ribs ($18) seemed intriguing, and it did seem like making a combo visit to a high-quality restaurant and an old A&W Root Beer stand. The dish may have been stolen, however, by an excellent side - the cheesy grits.

The Cajun Chicken Tortellini ($14) comes with the word "Hot" emblazoned on the menu and the warning that it's "our spiciest dish." Truth in advertising. It was hot - perhaps too much so - but still very tasty. Just keep whatever you're drinking close to put out the fire in your mouth.

Again, there's almost too much to choose from on the menu. For a first visit, there's always the option of the F-25 Sampler - portions of Shrimp and Grits, Etouffee and Jambalaya for $18.

Desserts all are in the $5 to $8 range and many can be shared between two diners. Options include traditional New Orleans beignets with home-made chocolate and seasonal fruit dipping sauces ($5), Lemon Icebox Pie (think lemon creme brulee, $6) and Mudville Ice Cream Pie with its mocha almond fudge and pecan and pralines ice creams and homemade sauces ($8).

French 25 has opened its roof-top dining area for some special events and it's likely to be open more often next year after all the transitional kinks are worked out.

Suffice to say, French 25 is off to a positive start. And unlike the restaurant's previous two occupants, it appears here to stay.